Do your URLs contain avoidable clutter?

By Matt Kerr·Published 11 November 2026

It checks address spelling, length, query parameters and session identifiers.

What Check Engine measures

The check looks for uppercase URL paths, encoded spaces and addresses longer than 115 characters. A query with at least 2 ampersands joins the multiple-parameter group. That group is reported only above the larger of 3 pages or a 0.25 share of indexable pages. Known session names are checked in queries and path parameters. Each type has its own finding and severity. For example, an address exactly 115 characters long is outside the long-URL group.

The check reads the address itself. It does not decide whether every parameter is needed. Review the destination and its use before changing the URL.

How to read the result

Session identifiers are high severity, multiple-parameter findings medium, uppercase and spaces low, and long URLs notices. These are review categories rather than a claim that every long or parameterised address is broken.

Why it matters

Different spellings and session data can make an address harder to manage consistently. A parameter can also be necessary, so the check identifies a pattern to inspect instead of proving that every matching part should be deleted.

How to fix it

Review which URL parts identify content and which only track a session or view. Keep stable public addresses and update links when changing them. Use redirects or canonicals deliberately for real alternatives. Test query-dependent pages before removing parameters so that cleanup does not erase filters or other useful page states.

SEO URL structure best practice, minus the folklore

What we found in field audits

Problems in Crawlability & indexing were found on 12 of the 14 sites we audited. These are area totals. Read the field-audit method.

Method note

backend/seo_engine/checks/indexability.py, url_hygiene, revision 0bb8e8d3.